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In the midst of the flood warnings and wind advisories, reminiscent of what most faced five years ago during Superstorm Sandy, a group of environmental advocates came together for Hands Across the Boards: Five Years After Sandy, organized by the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.

“Certainly the weather is sending us a strong message, a reminder of what happened here five years ago across the state of New Jersey and the eastern seaboard with Superstorm Sandy,” Executive Director Ed  Potosnak said. “On the fifth anniversary, we remember its devastating impacts to New Jersey’s residents – the lives, homes and businesses that were lost; and call for action on climate change to prevent such future losses.”

Among the close to 20 speakers was a resident whose loss of home sparked him into action, local and state officials, and activists working to protect against increased environmental vulnerabilities.

Asbury Park Mayor John Moor said climate change is ‘an all out assault on us.’

“This is a problem and a fight that must be addressed uniformly,” he said. “Mother nature does not know or respect boundaries or local regulations. We must rejoin the regional pact to fight climate change.

Joe Mangino, co founder of New Jersey Organizing Project, said he lost not only his home, and business, but a second job during Sandy.

“After the storm, I foolishly thought I’d be able to get back home in 6 to 8 weeks,” Mangino said. “That 6 to 8 weeks turned into a 3 year adventure. At the time my family moved around several times, the kids were forced to sleep on the floor of a tiny room we lived in for several months. The stress on my family was immense; living in these cramped quarters caused us to begin to experience mental and physical health issues. I wanted to not only get my family home but I wanted my friends and neighbors back too.”

Mangino said 22 percent of Sandy families have not returned home; 70 percent reported new physical or mental health problems or the worsening of a pre-existing condition; and 57 percent believe we are not better prepared for the next storm.

Environmental leaders took turns addressing the State’s coastal storm vulnerabilities, what needs to be done to increase preparedness, and the next steps in addressing climate change.

Rep. Frank Pallone said at the federal level, they are working to address the flood insurance program’s lack of protections for individuals, making the rebuilding of communication [ie cell towers] a priority during an emergency, and protecting the northeast gasoline supply reserve.

“I have been inspired by those who nearly lost everything, and have had the strength to move forward and to help others,” said Pallone, who spent the majority of the day meeting with Sandy victims who have not yet returned home. “We need to honor that commitment by addressing climate change and doing everything within our power to prevent a storm like Sandy.”

Surfrider Foundation’s John Weber, who now sits on the Bradley Beach Borough Council, said  he was called into action following the storm. Over 600 of their volunteers were sent in to help cleanup homes.

“[Superstorm Sandy] brought in a storm surge that was as high as 14 feet in some places,” Weber said. “In New Jersey alone it flooded 360,000 homes…that next morning we all woke up to a Jersey Shore that was unrecognizable. Sandy made me realize that protecting my town was not something that somebody else was going to do.”

Clean Ocean Action’s Cindy Zipf said their Action For The Shore campaign resulted in over 14,000 working to clear the shoreline of debris.

“We were supposed to get the memo from Superstorm Sandy,” she said. “We were supposed to get the message from Irma and from Harvey and from Maria and the devastating droughts, the record heat and the long, more and more hot, hot years…This is all going to lead to climate armageddon if we do not do something soon.”

Sierra Club’s Jeff Tittel said we have to move the state forward on climate change.

“We are the only state on the eastern seaboard without a climate adaption and mitigation plan,” Tittel said. “Sandy should have been a wakeup call. Harvey, Maria and Irma should be a siren going off. We have climate emergency in this country.”

Environmental partners for the event, included: American Littoral Society, ANJEC, Clean Ocean Action, Environmental Defense Action Fund, Food and Water Watch, Greenfaith, Sierra Club, Surfrider, Work Environment Council, and 350.org. Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Jennifer Beck and Assembly members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey also sent representatives to the event.

“As much as today is about remembering, it’s also about moving forward and making it clear to elected officials that are empowered through all of us that we want to see something different,”  Potosnak said. “We have a moral obligation to help the victims recover and address climate change now.”

For more about the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, click here.

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